Drag.Qxd (Page 1)
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Academy established its separate its established Academy courtesy Patsy Lynch Patsy courtesy Beulah Buskirk, 2004 Buskirk, Beulah America pageant. In 1986, the 1986, In pageant. America equally diverse in their styles and music with music and styles their in diverse equally took it over as the Miss Gaye Miss the as over it took offer a mix of all backgrounds. Performers are Performers backgrounds. all of mix a offer the St. James, and many others. many and James, St. the leading female impersonators, female leading white. The ethnic circuits overlap where clubs where overlap circuits ethnic The white. Kazans, the Maharises, the O’Haras, the Santanas, the O’Haras, the Maharises, the Kazans, , one of Washington’s of one , Buskirk cuits: African-American, Latino, Asian, and Asian, Latino, African-American, cuits: the Dennises, the Devereaux, the Kanes, the Kanes, the Devereaux, the Dennises, the Beulah a.k.a. Buskirk, Jerry Today’s club scene offers distinct ethnic cir- ethnic distinct offers scene club Today’s include the Bloomingdales, the Blues, the Carreros, the Blues, the Bloomingdales, the include first city-wide pageant. In 1964 In pageant. city-wide first beyond the gay community. gay the beyond eages as well. Well-known DC drag families drag DC Well-known well. as eages started a Masquerade Ball, the Ball, Masquerade a started sional drag performances to an audience far audience an to performances drag sional of them trainees of the Academy) created club lin- club created Academy) the of trainees them of In the fall of 1961, Bill Frye Bill 1961, of fall the In Brice and her Henry Street house brought profes- brought house Street Henry her and Brice trees. In later years, headliners in the clubs (many clubs the in headliners years, later In trees. Actor, to Taylor’s group. Taylor’s to Actor, Showstoppers productions produced by Fanny by produced productions Showstoppers their surname, creating drag lineages and family and lineages drag creating surname, their oldest and top titles, such as Best Actress and Actress Best as such titles, top and oldest across the city. The annual The city. the across Trainees often adopted the drag mother’s name as name mother’s drag the adopted often Trainees courtesy Carl Rizzi Carl courtesy queens. The contemporary Academy traces its traces Academy contemporary The queens. trained newcomers in clubs in newcomers trained Mame Dennis , 1975 , Dennis Mame Kim Novak led Paramount Plaza. Plaza. Paramount led Novak Kim standards for the city’s often ostracized drag ostracized often city’s the for standards members hosted shows and shows hosted members Patty Duke led Maryland House; and and House; Maryland led Duke Patty safe haven, performance sites, mentoring, and mentoring, sites, performance haven, safe drag houses and Academy and houses drag Fanny Brice led Henry Street; Street; Henry led Brice Fanny scheduled annual drag awards and provided a provided and awards drag annual scheduled has had as many as twelve as many as had has Beulah Buskirk led Family Affair; Family led Buskirk Beulah San Francisco, Kress organized the first regularly first the organized Kress Francisco, San the 1970s. The Academy The 1970s. the Liz Taylor led Butterfield 8; 8; Butterfield led Taylor Liz Imperial House system in system House Imperial for female impersonators in impersonators female for courtesy Carl Rizzi Carl courtesy Mame Dennis led Beekman Place; Place; Beekman led Dennis Mame Liz Taylor, 1985 Taylor, Liz José Saria created the created Saria José shows and public visibility public and shows . Drag mothers formed ‘houses’: formed mothers Drag . Brice Fanny a.k.a. drag.” Four years before years Four drag.” major expansion in club in expansion major , and Alex Carlino, Alex and , Dennis would center around center would ed by Mame Dennis, led a led Dennis, Mame by ed courtesy Carl Rizzi Carl courtesy Mame a.k.a. Rizzi, Carl Fanny Brice Fanny people whose social life social whose people The new Academy, head- Academy, new The in the mid-60s included mid-60s the in “mold an elite group of group elite an “mold members of Liz Taylor’s group. group. Taylor’s Liz of members illusion. Emerging leaders Emerging illusion. , wanted to wanted , Taylor Liz Henry Street and Beekman Place houses with houses Place Beekman and Street Henry wanting to learn the art of art the learn to wanting 1961, Alan Kress, a.k.a. Kress, Alan 1961, ation of The Academy, a reconciliation of the of reconciliation a Academy, The of ation became ‘mothers’ to those to ‘mothers’ became In the late summer of summer late the In In 1973, club owner Bill Oates Jr. brokered cre- brokered Jr. Oates Bill owner club 1973, In as leading drag artists drag leading as organization. organization. also new training grounds. grounds. training new also system emerged in the 60s the in emerged system Washington’s first (1961) social and support and social (1961) first Washington’s only more chances to perform and earn tips but tips earn and perform to chances more only The modern drag training drag modern The club shows and the Washington Academy, gay Academy, Washington the and shows club formers, the explosion in drag clubs offered not offered clubs drag in explosion the formers, year. Today drag performance in the city centers on centers city the in performance drag Today ed their own costumes, sets, and music). For per- For music). and sets, costumes, own their ed drag event of the of event drag the was It Hilton. Washington the Edna, RuPaul and others followed. followed. others and RuPaul Edna, which were cheap to present (performers provid- (performers present to cheap were which Pearl staged the Black Pearl International Awards at Awards International Pearl Black the staged Pearl Pend’avis. National stars Craig Russell, Dame Russell, Craig stars National Pend’avis. owners saw audiences and profits in drag shows drag in profits and audiences saw owners major hotels’ ban on drag. In February 1968, Black 1968, February In drag. on ban hotels’ major featured impersonators Peaches and Avis and Peaches impersonators featured As the gay community emerged in the 70s, club 70s, the in emerged community gay the As White’s greatest achievement was to break the break to was achievement greatest White’s Bob’s Inn, across from the Tivoli in the late 60s, late the in Tivoli the from across Inn, Bob’s of the group rather than by judges. by than rather group the of African-American drag performers. performers. drag African-American Laviere to local audiences in the 50s and 60s. and 50s the in audiences local to Laviere pageant in 1965, with winners selected by leaders by selected winners with 1965, in pageant Palm Ballroom, providing opportunities for fellow for opportunities providing Ballroom, Palm Lynne Carter and male impersonator Stormé de Stormé impersonator male and Carter Lynne Taylor’s group started the Miss Gaye Universe Gaye Miss the started group Taylor’s Potomac and drag balls at the Cairo Hotel and the and Hotel Cairo the at balls drag and Potomac Casino Royale and the Dunbar theaters bringing theaters Dunbar the and Royale Casino annual Miss Gaye America (DC) pageant. (DC) America Gaye Miss annual 60s. Black Pearl organized drag cruises on the on cruises drag organized Pearl Black 60s. the mid-50s. The Jewel Box Review played the played Review Box Jewel The mid-50s. the awarding the Emmy to its winners and staged the staged and winners its to Emmy the awarding ing African-American drag impresario in the late the in impresario drag African-American ing L St. featured the irrepressible Ray Bourbon in Bourbon Ray irrepressible the featured St. L The Awards Club mounted its own contests, own its mounted Club Awards The , emerged as a lead- a as emerged , Pearl Black a.k.a. White, Ken Redskin Lounge (nicknamed ’The Foreskin’) on Foreskin’) ’The (nicknamed Lounge Redskin the rival Awards Club (which lasted until 1988). until lasted (which Club Awards rival the their social events. events. social their Magnificent” Diggs in the 40s and 50s. The 50s. and 40s the in Diggs Magnificent” group and joined with Beulah Buskirk to form to Buskirk Beulah with joined and group Performers depended on rented private spaces for spaces private rented on depended Performers featured top local performers such as Louis “The Louis as such performers local top featured Place and Fanny Brice’s Henry Street left the left Street Henry Brice’s Fanny and Place American drag artists in a segregated social scene. social segregated a in artists drag American sionists. The Crystal (later Bohemian) Caverns Bohemian) (later Crystal The sionists. ru ntemd6s aeDni’Beekman Dennis’ Mame mid-60s. the in group Opportunities were more limited for African- for limited more were Opportunities Washington has long featured professional illu- professional featured long has Washington An acrimonious split hit Kress’s Academies Kress’s hit split acrimonious An with points awarded in a variety of categories. of variety a in awarded points with members-only Miss Gaye America (DC) pageant, (DC) America Gaye Miss members-only is a 25. 1345 Half St SE - OTHERSIDE/ ZIEGFELD’S - city drag shows hosted by Jymmye Jaymes, Terrie Since 1978, this address has been the top spot for drag DC Santana, and others. The club also hosted several in DC. The Other Side, a women’s bar that opened in of drag queens pageants including Miss Capitol City. 1978, brought regularly scheduled drag shows here. Ella and kings. Fitzgerald, demanding shaper of shows and talents, “Talk to the drag 22. 639 Pennsylvania Ave SE - started here on July 4, 1980. Ziegfeld’s, a landmark in queen!” says drag LIFERAFT/ EQUUS/REMINGTON’S - DC’s drag performance scene, opened in March 1988, D diva Ella Fitzgerald at Ziegfeld’s, The site has a long history as a with Ella Fitzgerald managing the shows.